Massive new proposals for London Bus
Routes 3, 6, 8, 15, 22, 23, 25, 46, 73,
137, 172, 242, 332, 390, 425, 452, C2, N2, N3, N8, N15, N22 and N73.
Routes 3, 8, 15, 73, 137 and 390
use the three-door and two-staircase hybrid buses known as New Routemasters.
From TfL Press release
TfL
has today launched a consultation on proposed changes to 23 central London bus routes to better match bus services with
demand from passengers.
The
changes would improve the reliability of a number of bus routes that currently
get caught up in congestion along Oxford Street, and improve air quality and
safety on the street.
TfL
wants to match bus services with demand in London in a smarter way. As it does
so in central London, additional services will be provided to support
residential growth areas across the Capital, particularly in outer London.
Travel
patterns have changed
The
forthcoming Business Plan - subject to sign-off by the TfL Board - will see total bus mileage maintained across the
Capital over the five-year life of the plan.
As
Londoners' travel patterns have changed, passenger journeys on bus routes outside zone 1 have increased by 23% over
the last 10 years.
Overall,
bus journeys entering zone 1 have
increased at a much slower rate of just
over 6%t. On some central London
routes passenger numbers have fallen.
A
number of other factors are being considered, including a faster and more
reliable Tube, with the Victoria and Northern lines now among the highest
frequency services in Europe with a train every two minutes.
Bus
route 73, which closely follows the
route of the Victoria Line, has seen up to eleven per cent fewer customers this year compared to 2011 as
customers choose the Tube and other forms of travel.
New travel options
The
Night Tube is also providing new travel options to and from the West End, and
the opening of the Elizabeth line in
late 2018 is significant as it will transform how people travel across
central London.
When
fully open, the Elizabeth line will boost
rail capacity in central London by 10% and provide a key new east-west link
across the Capital, with 24 trains per
hour in each direction serving step-free stations at the heart of London.
Many people will choose to use these services rather than taking a bus.
The
Elizabeth line will have two new
stations at Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street and will therefore play a
particular role reducing bus demand
on Oxford Street.
The
Mayor is already working with City of
Westminster to make Oxford Street more pedestrian friendly and the proposals
for changes to bus services in central London are designed to start reducing the number of buses running along
Oxford Street.
The
proposals in the consultation would reduce the number of buses going along
Oxford Street by around 40%.
New Hopper fare
A
small number of customers would need to
change buses to complete their journeys, but the new Hopper fare,
introduced by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, means that the second journey would be free.
All
buses are fully accessible and the
proposals would ensure that, where possible, customers can change buses at the same stop to complete their
journey.
Gareth
Powell, TfL's Director of Strategy and Contracted Services, said: 'These
proposals respond to the changing way people travel across central London and
will do in the future.
'When
the Elizabeth line services begin many
more people will choose rail rather than road to get to and through the West
End.
'By
making these changes to bus services we can provide the right level of service
and in the process we can make Oxford Street a safer and healthier place.'
Reduce congestion
Jace
Tyrrell, CEO of New West End Company, said: 'We welcome Transport for London's
proposal to reduce the number of buses across the West End, which will greatly
help reduce congestion and improve air quality in London's retail heartland.
'Ahead
of the arrival of the Elizabeth line in 2018, which is expected to bring 60 million visits to the West End annually, it is essential that
there is genuine traffic reduction to ensure the West End retains its position
as a world class retail destination.'
TfL's
proposals would see more bus routes starting and finishing at Park Lane,
Trafalgar Square and Tottenham Court Road rather than moving at very low speed
along Oxford Street, one of the country's most important retail hubs. Examples
of the changes include:
On
route 137 - it is proposed that buses would be re-routed to run between
Streatham Hill (Telford Avenue) and the Marble Arch / Park Lane area, and not
continue on to Oxford Circus. The termination of the route at Marble Arch would
mean a more reliable service on the rest of the route.
On
route 390 - it is proposed that buses would be re-routed to run to and from
Victoria instead of Notting Hill Gate. The frequency of this route would be
increased so that buses run every six minutes instead of every eight, during
the day Monday to Saturday.
On
route 3 - it is proposed that services would be re-routed to Russell Square,
serving Charing Cross Road and Great Russell Street. This would make it easier
to travel between Millbank, the British Museum and the Russell Square area. It
would also improve travel between Millbank and Tottenham Court Road station for
passengers wishing to access Tube and Elizabeth line services.
Here’s the map of the proposed daytime
bus changes:
More details on this huge consultation
(including night services) can be seen here
and it will end on Sunday 29th January
2017.
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